natural history photography. and stuff.

Category: Art

In 1995 we went to Ireland on a birding holiday. Just before going we bought new binoculars.

That was 19 years ago. It’s important you understand that. The context is, as I say, everytng.

So here we are on holiday in Norfolk. Mostly birding, but some good food and drink and a bit of culture and shopping. Today we thought we must visit the Birdscapes Art Gallery. Last time we were in Norfolk, 10 years ago according to our notebooks, it was still a project on the drawing board. Now it’s been open for nine years and we intend to give it the benefit of our collective cheque-books. After all, there are still, um, two shopping days to Christmas.

We find the place easily enough – it’s just up the road from us and our satnav gets us there without any difficulty.

But it’s closed. Or, at least, not open yet. But there’s plenty of other stuff to see in their little industrial estate. Including Cley Spey. The optics specialists. You can see where this is heading

We’ve parked in their carpark so it’s only polite to call in.

Cley Spey – “Can we help?”

Me – “No, just browsing until Birdscapes opens.”

Clay Spey – “Doubt if he’s up yet.”

Me – “OK, let’s have a look at those Leica Trinovids then.”

And it was all downhill from there really, ending with, “Why not have look these Ultravid HD?”

They did trade in our 19 year old Leicas, much to our amazement, and gave us a good deal on 8×42 HD Ultravids – now replaced by the new HD plus. We did decide the addition of a mathematical symbol to the name wasn’t worth an extra £400 a pop. But, even so, our bank accounts were substantially lighter than 30 minutes ago.

And now Birdscapes Art Gallery is open – but who cares. We’ve spent our money on bins. So it doesn’t matter how reasonably priced your David Koster’s are. Or that you’ve got cute little ceramic bats to hang on the wall. Or drypoint by Emerson Mayes that Jan had fallen in love with at this year’s SWLA annual exhibition. Or stuff. Don’t think you can get round us just by wrapping it up nicely.

Bugger. How can we ever be rich like this?

And there’s still one shopping day left.

PS – Birdscapes Art Gallery is one of the best wildlife galleries we have seen. It has a range to suit all tastes and most pockets. As we have said it is right next door to Cley Spey and there is a fantastic art cafe selling coffee processed in a neighbouring unit. It’s web-site, however, is shite. But don’t let that put you off. Go. Just not too early in the morning.